Cuss Someone Like a Dog
In Southern and Appalachian speech, cuss someone like a dog means to scold or berate someone harshly with strong language. It’s a vivid rural expression describing a thorough tongue-lashing.
I heard Henry Cho say somebody was 'dog cussin'' him and remembered this one. It's a common one out in the country. And Henry Cho's a good'un, by the way. I heard Henry Cho say somebody was 'dog cussin'' him and remembered this one. It's a common one out in the country. And Henry Cho's a good'un, by the way. Pronunciation
/kʌs ˈsʌmwʌn laɪk ə dɔːɡ/
Meaning & Usage
- To curse or scold someone severely (idiom)
He tracked mud all over the rug, and his mama cussed him like a dog.Reckon he’ll think twice next time.Origin and Etymology
This expression blends two long-standing Southern features: the verb "cuss" (common in Southern and Appalachian English since the 1800s) and the simile "like a dog," used to intensify negative treatment. The phrase evokes a loud, sharp reprimand like a farm dog might receive for troublemaking. Shortened modern forms such as "dog-cuss" developed later but trace back to this older construction.
Usage Notes
Often used jokingly or in storytelling, not always literal or mean-spirited. The modern variants "dog-cuss" and "dog cussing" appear across the South today, while the full form "cuss someone like a dog" retains a more old-time rural flavor.
- Knock a Mud Hole in You and Walk It Dry
- Cuss Someone Like a Dog
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